The night of Friday to Saturday, near Nantes, turned into a nightmare for two teenagers, aged 14 and 16. Abducted by a group of masked and armed men after a fight, they were thrown naked into a forest between La Chapelle-sur-Erdre and Treillières, beaten, held at gunpoint, and ordered to dig their own graves. According to the Nantes prosecutor, it was a settling of scores related to drug trafficking. Antoine LeroyAn investigation has been opened for kidnapping, unlawful confinement, and violence. The victims, miraculously released, knocked on the first door they came across to alert the authorities. It's a chilling story that starkly raises the question: how far will this turf war between drug dealers go? The events unfolded in an atmosphere of brutal violence. After an initial altercation, the assailants forced the two boys into the trunk of a car, drove them into the woods, and unleashed their fury. Stripped naked and beaten bloody, the teenagers endured a horrific psychological ordeal: "Dig your own grave," they heard, with a gun to their temples. Finally abandoned naked in the cold, they wandered to a nearby house, where a resident raised the alarm. Taken into custody by firefighters and police, the two minors – the younger of whom, from Angers, had been on the run for six months – were reluctant to provide details. Were they afraid of reprisals? Or did they have dubious ties to their captors? The investigation, entrusted to the Nantes research brigade, is progressing quickly, assures Antoine Leroy.
A trail that smells of gunpowder
The prosecutor doesn't mince words: this is a drug trafficking case, with turf wars poisoning the suburbs of Nantes. The investigation has confirmed the existence of a freshly dug hole at the location indicated by the victims, tangible proof of the threat. But the teenagers, uncooperative, are complicating the investigators' task. One of them, the runaway from Angers, may be involved in shady dealings; the other, a local, could be collateral damage. In a region where cocaine and cannabis seizures are on the rise, this kind of vigilante attack is not uncommon. The masked men, armed to the teeth, operate like pros: lightning-fast abduction, maximum intimidation, and release to sow terror rather than kill. A signature of gangs that rule through fear. What makes this case even more appalling is the victims' ages: 14 and 16, kids who should never have crossed paths with these barbarians. Nantes, a vibrant city with gleaming facades, barely conceals its pockets of poverty where drug trafficking thrives. With this investigation, the authorities hope to make a significant impact: raids are planned, surveillance is underway, and perhaps swift arrests are possible. But for the two survivors, the trauma is undeniable: naked in the forest, digging their own grave, it's an image that will haunt them for a long time. And for the parents, it's a stark reminder: keep a close eye on your children, the streets are no longer safe. Antoine Leroy promises follow-up: "The investigation is progressing well." In the meantime, this Christmas settling of scores underscores the urgent need for increased repression against drug traffickers. In Nantes, where shootings are already making headlines, this juvenile kidnapping sounds like a warning: violence is passing down through the ages, and no one is safe.
